Will Modi stop India’s cow terrorists from killing Muslims?

There is a repugnant euphemism that has entered the lexicon of Indian prime-time television lately. “Cow vigilantes” has become contemporary shorthand for murderous right-wing mobs who kill Muslims simply for being Muslim. They shelter behind the misleading respectability of the euphemism.

For us in the media to use the word “vigilantism” to describe hate crimes against India’s Muslims is nothing more than the hideous normalization of bigotry.

The debate has been falsely posited as one about eating beef. (Cows are worshiped by millions of Indians, and many Indian states have banned cow slaughter.) The reality is that rumor, hearsay and prejudice are being used to assault Muslims, many of whom are cattle traders and shepherds or are linked to the dairy and leather business.